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LOW-INCOME ENERGY LOW-INCOME ENERGY NETWORKNETWORK

LIEN/AHAC Conference

Helping Low Income Consumers

Sarah Blackstock

Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Presentation outline

LIEN pyramid

Energy conservation programs

Rate and emergency assistance programs

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LIEN’s approach to low-income energy conservation & assistance

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Benefits to Low-Income Households

lower energy bills

improve comfort/quality of life

ensure access to electricity and heat

reduce risk of homelessness

allow people with low incomes to participate in the “Culture of Conservation”

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Benefits for Society

reduce demand for emergency assistance

reduce need for public expenditures

reduce poverty

reduce pollution

reduce need for new generation facilities

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LIEN model

for low-income home-owners and tenants who pay for utilities directly

based on pyramid

Brantford Power’s pilot project “Conserving Homes” based on LIEN model

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Energy conservation

Ontario Energy Board OEB encouraged Local Distribution

Companies (LDCs) to develop low-income Conservation and Demand Management (CDM)

not mandatory 33 LDCs spending approx. $9.6M

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Energy conservation

Social Housing Services Corporation (SHSC)

energy costs are 40% of annual operating budgets, $400M/year

Energy Management Program

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Energy conservation

Discretionary benefits for OW/ODSP clients

one-time benefit

maximum of $50

to pay for pre-approved low-cost energy conservation measure

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Energy Conservation

Conservation Bureau Minister of Energy gives

OPA/Conservation Bureau responsibility for low-income and social housing CDM in October 2005

target of 100MW reduction, equivalent of the energy consumption of 33 000 homes

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Energy Conservation

EnerGuide for Low-Income Households (EGLIGH) cancelled by Harper gov’t in recent budget $500M, 5-year program available to homeowners, multiple-unit buildings

and rooming houses for retrofits such as draft-proofing, heating

system upgrades and window replacements Green Communities leading lobbying campaign

to save EGLIGH

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Rate and emergency assistance

Federal Energy Cost Benefit one-time benefit provided in Jan 06 $250 to families receiving NCBS $125 to seniors receiving GIS $250 to senior couples where both

receive GIS 3.1M payments made

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Rate and emergency assistance

Provincial Emergency Energy Fund STW/LIEN worked with ComSoc to

establish fund in 2004 fund doubled to $4.2M (April 12/06 announcement)

$500 000 to First Nations members on reserve

managed by municipalities and the Ontario Native Welfare Administrators’ Association on behalf of First Nations

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Rate and emergency assistance

Provincial Emergency Energy Fund con’t to help pay for arrears, security deposits,

reconnections paid directly to energy providers can access fund once, unless there are

exceptional circumstances amount provided depends on factors such

as number of months energy has been disconnected and reconnection fees

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Rate and emergency assistance

Ontario Home Electricity Relief program legislation introduced in April 06 to

provide low-income families with a one-time payment

up to $120 per family to be eligible families have to file 2005

tax returns by Dec. 31, 2006 1.5M families will be eligible

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Rate and emergency assistance

Social assistance SA recipients who pay for heating costs

directly can receive assistance a part of their shelter allowance

Community Start-up and Maintainenace Benefit

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Rate and emergency assistance

Charities Share the Warmth (not in all communities) Winter Warmth (United Way, Toronto

Hydro and Enbridge) municipal programs churches varying levels of assistance varying critieria

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Being warm, cool and green

Role of government

Role of utilities

Role of activists